Social media 'is a growth market'

A sector commentator has suggested that social networks are a form of online environment which has plenty of potential for development.

Social media is one type of virtual network that may see growth in the future, according to a sector commentator.

Tim Gibbon, co-founder of Social Media Portal, called sharing networks an "obvious" growth sector in terms of successful online environments.

He pointed out that goods on these virtual networks must have a convenient payment method in order to be successful.

Mr Gibbon suggested that effective content will probably come in the form of online games.

"It has to [have] an appeal that is addictive, challenging and holds the possibility to bring in other elements to create longevity," he added.

Another issue which must be overcome is the "cultural barrier" that exists for those people who are not that comfortable using the internet and such virtual networks, said Mr Gibbon.

His comments were made following a statement from Linden Lab, which asserted that many major organisations such as IBM and the US Navy are using a product called Second Life Enterprise to move virtual operations behind their firewalls.

10/11/2009

Social media market 'is crowded'

MySpace may be struggling to maintain web traffic because the social media market is crowded, says an industry insider.

An industry commentator has suggested that MySpace may be currently struggling to drive traffic because the social media sector is just too crowded.

Neil Stapley, founder of Dadooda.com, made his remarks after Rupert Murdoch announced that the partnership between Google and MySpace is not being as profitable as he first imagined due to disappointing figures from the social media site.

According to Mr Stapley, this supports the theory that Facebook is "the social networking site of choice" for the majority of the sector.

He pointed out that Murdoch and his company NewsCorp may not have predicted that there would be quite so much competition in the market as there is.

"However, the scope for new products for new market segments is immense and this could be an opportunity for MySpace as much as it is a threat," explained Mr Stapley.

In his view, it was inevitable that the growth in traffic figures would slow down eventually and that is what has happened.

10/11/2009

Big brands 'embrace paid-for social media'

Coca-Cola and Microsoft have become some of the first big names to sign up to CoTweet.

Several major brands have announced that they have enrolled on social media website Twitter's new business tool - CoTweet.

Among the big players to sign up to the web analytics service are Coca-Cola, Ford, Microsoft and McDonalds.

Scotty Monty, digital and multimedia communications manager at Ford, claimed that CoTweet will allow the organisation to have a two-way conversation with customers and allow for better coordination.

"In social media, the experience you give people on their first effort to reach you had better be the way you want them to remember you," he added.

The tool will give those who sign up faster access to Twitter updates, product support, a full archive of consumer interactions and a variety of web analytics statistics measuring the impact of messages.

Last week, head of search at bigmouthmedia championed the use of social media for building up a brand and pointed out that several of the biggest networks now have tools to help firms do this.

10/11/2009

Social media users 'may not need to visit homepage'

Advertisers may need to rethink their strategy if people begin to use social media homepages less, says a sector commentator.

An industry insider has advised marketers that social media users may not need to use traditional homepages to check their accounts in future.

Andrew Girdwood, head of search for bigmouthmedia, made his remarks following the release of Google Social Search, which allows people to search for content on social networks.

He pointed out that this application could have a far-reaching effect on the current social media landscape.

Mr Girdwood explained: "For example, there are desktop clients now that allow you to access your Twitter account without visiting the site and social search engines may have a similar impact."

As a result of this, customers may not need to visit their Facebook or Twitter page to read messages and updates, so banner adverts on these sites will become less effective, he added.

For example, Mr Girdwood noted that Google and Bing have made deals with Twitter to have access to the social network's content for use on their search engines.

09/11/2009

Google 'welcomes no win no fee SEO'

SEO experts offering no-win no-fee contracts for their services are worth a try, says Google.

Search engine giant Google has applauded the idea of search engine optimisation (SEO) companies offering no-win no-fee-style agreements with regards to marketing results.

Alan Wrafter, conversion programme manager at the organisation, commented that that he welcomed the notion "with open arms".

He pointed out that there are several different payment structures that companies can choose to use to pay for SEO, but that this one could suit some firms.

Mr Wrafter said: "No-win no-fee is an ideal way for businesses to kick off their conversion maximisation projects. We encourage businesses of all sizes to try it out."

In his view, it can be a good idea to find a certified Google Conversion Professional, which is an SEO organisation endorsed by the search engine.

Last week, an industry insider told Marketing Sherpa that an important factor to consider when aiming for effective SEO in blogs is the keywords which will be used in them.

09/11/2009

Value for money 'could drive online lead generation'

Consumers often use the internet for research purposes, so online retailers must offer value for money to maximise lead generation, says an expert.

Retailers aiming to improve their lead generation strategies must offer consumers better value for money, according to a sector commentator.

Director of operations for IMRG David Smith claimed that customers use the internet for "research" but may then purchase products offline, from a catalogue or via a phone.

However, he noted that the possibilities for lead generation on the web are the best they have ever been, even though customers are much more savvy now.

Mr Smith pointed out that a few years ago only young men were using the internet, but now women and the elderly are online too.

"I think a lot of it is to do with how we are changing as people and being a lot more comfortable with the technology that surrounds us," he explained.

Last week, Nielsen and the British Retail Consortium published the latest Consumer Confidence Index, which indicated that there had been a ten-point rise to 75.

09/11/2009

Marketers 'must adjust to maintain SEO rankings'

Advertisers have to alter their SEO campaigns to ensure that they maintain successful search rankings, according to an industry insider.

An industry commentator has told marketers to monitor their search engine optimisation (SEO) rankings, to make sure they do not fall behind their competition.

Writing on a blog for SEOmoz, Scott Willoughby pointed out that many of the tactics marketers use in SEO will stay the same, but there is a need to "future-proof" strategies.

He highlighted the need to concentrate on delivering the fundamentals of search marketing, while at the same time tweaking the details to maintain success.

"In order to stay on top of your game, you need to keep an eye on your rankings over time and adjust accordingly," Mr Willoughby wrote.

In his view, SEO is not a one-off campaign that advertisers can forget about once they have completed a campaign, but an "ongoing process".

Last month, an online marketing executive at Coast Digital pointed out that a good SEO organisation will be able to show what they have achieved through web analytics statistics.

03/11/2009